Mining firm opens doors to public

KASIBU, Nueva Vizcaya: An Australian mining firm operating in the upland village of Didipio is giving the public tours of its facilities to promote responsible mining.

Officials of the OceanaGold (Philippines) Inc. (OGPI) said they have decided to open its facilities to the public “to promote its operations for better understanding of responsible mining projects.”

For the past 12 months now, OGPI’s mine tour program officials have invited representatives from different organizations in Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino provinces who were toured around the mining area showing the mining processes from extraction to production.

OGPI mine tour records showed a list of tourists that included the religious, academe, government, civil society organizations, the media and who reportedly gave positive feedback.

The mining firm officials said the mine tours are part of their effort to showcase the project not only as a tourism attraction but also to educate the public on how responsible mining works in Nueva Vizcaya.